Hidan caught the cloak and wrapped it around his healing body. He hadn't said anything while this was happening but the last part of his body to heal was his face. His eyebrows and hair also started growing.
Everyone looked to see what kind of a state was Kakuzu in so they looked to the side and saw a round black ball. As it was still and there was no voice or movement coming from it, Hidan walked towards it and swung his scythe toward the black ball. The blades of the scythe pierced the ball and just as he pulled out, the out layer of it fell on the ground like a coconut husk. Hidan was about to swing his scythe again but then a hand punched a hole from the inside of the black ball.
The next second another hand came from inside and together they tore open the ball. As the 2 sides of the ball fell on the ground in the form of semicircles, everyone could see that they were just the hair that was woven into each other and layered upon one another to protect Kakuzu from the fire wave.
But even though Kakuzu was unscathed by the fire attack, the sand shinobis weren't disappointed because they could see that Kakuzu had become way thinner than before as if he had used up all the hairs he had. Kakuzu was also breathing pretty heavily.
"W-Who are you?" Kakuzu asked as he looked in the direction from where the fire originated. Everyone suddenly remembered that they didn't know who was the one to save Baki and Kankuro.
They all looked back and saw someone walking toward them. The person had worn a long black kimono with a purple sword tucked to his side and a black cloth covering his face till his nose.
Even though the person's face was covered, none of them had to guess the person's name as his red Sharigan was visible to all. The sand shinobis who also looked into those blood-red eyes felt their souls shake in their hearts and their nerves go cold.
"The storm is really annoying" Yami said as he tucked a finger in his face mask and untied it exposing his entire face which had now matured and become more handsome than before. He let the piece of cloth flow away in the winds of the storm and looked at the Akatsuki members with a smile on his face.
"I-Is he?..."
"Yes, h-he...its him..."
"It's the Genjutsu Demon..."
One by one the sand shinobis recognized Yami. But they were all shocked because they knew that Yami's age was 12 years old but he looked like someone who is 14-15 years old.
"H-How is it possible? It's only been 2 years since then." Kankuro said in a surprised tone. He couldn't believe that Yami had grown so much in just 2 years. It was obvious because the body reconstruction didn't just heal his body but created a whole new body that was like a vessel that could contain the powers that Yami had within him. If the body was created like a normal 12-year-old then it would just explode when Yami tried to circulate a high amount of pure chakra through it.
Due to Yami being born as an Uchiha, his body was already sturdy and stronger than most of the other shinobis but still, it was at its limit because of the quality of Yami's chakra and its sheer quantity which could overwhelm even a Kage level shinobi's body. But now his body was growing as per his own power irrespective of his age. Yami was informed all this by the big bat one day when he came to see how Yami's training is going. The one thing Yami understood that day is that even if his current strength surpasses a Kage, his body was still of an early teen which meant he has still a lot to achieve.
At the battlefield now the word had spread that the Genjutsu demon had intervened and stopped Baki and Kankuro from taking in a fatal strike. Although many sand shinobis knew that their village had signed an alliance with the hidden leaf, now that a renowned leaf shinobi is helping them renew their confidence in the alliance.
"The genjutsu demon ha? He does have a hefty bounty on him...He is my..." Kakuzu was saying but then he saw Hidan start running toward Yami screaming "HAHA...I'VE FOUND YOU"
Hidan ignored Baki and Kankuro along with the sand shinobis who were in that way and bolted at Yami. Although Yami was confused by this erratic behavior of Hidan, he knew that Hidan was a cultist and worshipped Lord Jashin like Priest Ji and the others so he just jumped in the air and easily dodged the first swing that Hidan had taken toward him.
But getting his attack easily dodged by Yami didn't stop Hidan to continue swinging his scythe at the genjutsu demon. He didn't use any chakra except to boost his own speed and kept swinging. Yami was already aware of Hidan's power to taste a person's blood and inflict wounds on himself which would hurt the blood's owner.
'He seems desperate to get my blood...then it is good that I took a detour before coming here. I didn't think I would need to use it so early.' Yami thought.
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Konoha Hospital (Same time)
Underground research labs
Tsunade was standing wearing a doctor's coat in front of a stretcher on which laid a shinobi with multiple injuries. The Shinobi had blood trickling down his eyes and mouth. With a small ball of cotton, Tsunade wiped the blood and threw the ball on a metal plate beside her. She looked at the table where the metal plate was and then glanced at the thing kept beside it.
It was a black mask with tinted glass on the eye holes. Tsunade glanced at the shinobi and said "I told you not to push your limit until you are completely healed Itachi. I didn't expect you to get in such bad shape even so soon. Rest for a few days now."
Tusnade then removed her doctor's coat and placed it on the chair nearby. Around her were many glass jars with destroyed hearts and many other things. These were the specimens Yami and the Kakashi had collected from the hidden mist. They were either related to the cultists or the monster.
Just as Tsunade was thinking looking at the glass jars, a puff of smoke appeared on her shoulder.
"Sorry it took me so long Milady." a sweet voice came from her shoulder. It was none other than her summon Katsuyu.
"No problem Katsuyu. I know that Yami has left the bat cave. He sent me a letter this morning and he is probably now at the hidden sand." Tsunade said casully. She had sent Katsuyu to find out when Yami's training will be finished but since he had already contacted her, she had got her answer.
"It is good that he contacted you Lady Tsunade but there is one thing you should know." Katsuyu said making Tsunade a little curious.
"Yami left the bat-summoning cave 2 weeks ago. But instead of getting summoned in the hidden leaf, he asked the big bat to summon him to the land of hot water (Yugakure)."
"Why would he go there? I have heard that the village is a very calm village and they hardly get into any trouble with the rest of the shinobi world." Tsunade asked.
"I also asked the same question but the only answer I got is that there is something else in Yugakure that Yami was interested in. I came here late because I was busy finding the reason why Yami visited Yugakure."
"So what is that reason? I am guessing it must be pretty important if Yami decided to visit it before coming back to the village." Tsunade asked. Katsuyu's words and Yami's actions had piqued her curiosity.
"Yugakure is facing a serious underlying issue. In the catacombs which are located in a remote part of the village, evil has taken root. This evil is the same cult that Yami and the others faced in the hidden mist. Since Yugakure has come out as a peaceful village instead of a hidden village, the cultists have started leaving the village and traveling to other lands. Yami wanted to visit those catacombs."Katsuyu explained.
"So Yami killed everyone in those catacombs? That's a good thing I guess." Tsunade sighed but then Katsuyu shook her head and said "No...that's what's puzzling. None of the cultists have been killed. It seems that Yami's intention was never to kill them."
(Why did Yami go to Yugakure? What was so important there that it was his first stop? Ans to all your questions are posted in my P@treon)
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